Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Pearl by Sherri L. Smith and Christine Norrie - ESSENTIAL

Pearl
by Sherri L. Smith, illustrated by Christine Norrie
, 144 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL Graphix (Scholastic), 2024. $13 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: PG (war);  Violence: PG (atomic bomb) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL 

APPEALS TO: MANY 

Amy is a thirteen-years old living in Hawaii. When her grandmother becomes ill, she is sent to visit her for the first time in Hiroshima. She goes alone because her parents have a new baby. Unfortunately for Amy, the year is 1941 and when Pearl Harbor is attacked, she is unable to return home. She is conscripted into translating radio transmissions for the Japanese army and questions where home really is when she hears about internment camps in America. 

Deftly told, the title is a play on words, referencing Pearl Harbor and Amy's grandmother, who was a pearl diver.  A fresh and intriguing look at how war divides families and loyalties and the difficulties of navigating a world that has suddenly been upended. Drawings are done in blues and grays, which fits the somber themes of the book. Amy is Japanese American . 

Michelle in the Middle 

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